For those who want safe planting soil.

pfara

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I came across a new organic potting soil called Nature's Care at Home Depot. I've been reading a lot of posts lately about what kind of dirt you can use that would be safe for tortoise enclosures and this one seems to be pretty good.

Comes in large bags (32 qts) or small bags (8 qts) but the larger bag is more economical by far (depending on your store):


Ingredients:


What it actually looks like. Notice that this has no perlite in it:


Hope this helps. I'm also trying out a product called Azomite for all my gardening needs. It acts as a mineral supplement for plants and can also be used for animals. It might actually be a replacement for those who use Miner-all, but I wouldn't really know how to test its application and/or it'd take forever long to find out if long-term effects can be harmful. However, I don't think torts would have any issues with Azomite seeing as how the product is pulverized rock. If anyone has ever tried this product, please let me know :D
 

Jacqui

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I want to know what: water conserve is? Says it is in there. Also I have always had a bit of a worry about anything with poultry droppings in it. The has the poultry litter and feathers. I want to know, what have those animals been fed and what was the bedding they were on?
 

pfara

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Jacqui said:
I want to know what: water conserve is? Says it is in there. Also I have always had a bit of a worry about anything with poultry droppings in it. The has the poultry litter and feathers. I want to know, what have those animals been fed and what was the bedding they were on?

Jacqui, this is just a guess but I think the term "water conserve" is just a gimmick. The "soil" is a lot spongier in texture vs. dense like actual dirt, hence more water and oxygen retentive. As for the poultry stuff.. you'd have to ask the manufacturer about that. I don't put much stock in a lot of things labeled "organic" but I would think that the dangers of this product *might be* about the same as trusting bags of commercial top soil. Who knows?
 

wellington

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Thanks for the heads up. So much of the organic stuff I have found, isn't what I would want to use. Usually stuff that really isn't tort safe. This looks pretty good.
 

Saleama

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The poultry litter, much like the horse manure they use in mushroom farms is most likely sanitized. It is a joke in Poland that we take out the good stuff from our fertilizer and add bad stuff back in. Evidently it is funnier when you say it in Polish. I would also guess that the water conserve is a catch phrase they use because of the water holding properties of the coco coir, peat moss and forest product.
 

sibi

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Just bought organic soil from home depot today. It's not in a green bag like you bought, but the ingredients are practically the same. I feel that adding this soil to say, cypress mulch, would be safe enough. I mean, these guys eat dirt, poop, and every filthy thing out there. Soil like the one you mentioned isn't gonna harm your tort.
 

Aunt Caffy

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The Vigoro Organic Garden Soil has an almost identical list of ingredients. Be careful not to get the Vigoro Organic Potting Soil because it has perlite.
 

bouaboua

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Good stuff. Thank you for sharing it.
 

yillt

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Is this ok? ImageUploadedByTortoise Forum1402686704.077625.jpg I have been using it for about 5 weeks.
 

johnsonnboswell

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There is a corn based substance similar to corn starch that has been used in disposable diapers to absorb & hold liquid. I wonder if this water conserve is something similar.
 

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